Contemplate, contemplate, and contemplate some more

4 short articles to read and contemplate:

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam, Pastor John Fredericksen, and Ken Pullen

Unions Or Unity?

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

Here is a company of Bible-believing Christians joined together in, let us say, an evangelistic endeavor. All are trusting in the shed blood of Christ for salvation, though some are Baptists, some Presbyterians, some Episcopalians and some represent other denominations.

Are all these believers one? Yes, in Christ, for “there is one body” (Eph. 4:4).

What united them? The “one baptism” (Eph. 4:5) by which the Holy Spirit unites all believers to Christ and to each other: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles…” (I Cor. 12:13).

Yet these same believers, all trusting in the finished work of Christ for salvation, remain sadly divided as far as fellowship in the work of the Lord is concerned. They may have blessed fellowship in their evangelistic endeavor, but at its conclusion they go back to their mutually exclusive church organizations.

The reason? Basically it is that they have confused “the gospel of the kingdom,” proclaimed by Christ on earth and His twelve apostles, with “the gospel of the grace of God,” proclaimed by the ascended, glorified Lord through the Apostle Paul (Acts 20:24; Eph. 3:1-3).

Striving over baptismal modes and meanings, most of them still require their particular forms of baptism for entrance into their churches, while explaining at the same time that the ceremony has no saving value and that it is not required by God for entrance into the true Church.

Why should the Church of Christ remain divided and weak, when God says:

“WE BEING MANY ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND EVERY ONE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER” (Rom. 12:5).

Can’t we stop being Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists and just be Christians?

The Wisdom Of This World

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (I Cor. 1:20).

This challenge was hurled at the intellectual world of nineteen hundred years ago, so famous for its philosophy, literature and art. Nor are these the words of one who himself lacked the benefits of higher learning. Rather, they flowed from the pen of one of the most learned men, one of the greatest thinkers of all time: the Apostle Paul. More than this, they are found in that Book of books, the Bible, which has withstood, not barely but magnificently, all the attacks of a thousand critics through centuries of time. This Book says:

“The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (I Cor. 3:19).

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10).

Actually, the “intellectuals” in any age are those who assent to the theories of those who agree with each other that they are intellectual! Dissent from them and you have automatically branded yourself an illiterate!

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

“And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

“That no flesh should glory in His presence” (I Cor. 1:27-29).

Is It Important Who You Spend Time With?

by Pastor John Fredericksen

Whether we realize it or not, we are all affected by the people with whom we spend time. Their attitudes, philosophies, language, and spirituality (good or bad) have a tendency to rub off on us, even if we don’t realize it. The Lord warns us about this in I Corinthians 15:33: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” This isn’t true only for young people. It is true for believers of all ages. We might not want to think this could happen to us, but the Lord encourages us not to be deceived about this important principle.

David realized how important it was to surround himself with the right kind of spiritually minded people. His testimony was, “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts” (Psa. 119:63). He intentionally chose to minimize the time he spent around the ungodly, or only somewhat spiritually minded, and to maximize his time around truly dedicated believers. Doing so gave him continual encouragement to walk after the Lord with a pure heart and not after the ways of the world.

The Apostle Paul must have embraced this principle for living too. As we look through his letters, it is easy to see the close relationship he maintained with many saints who were truly living for the Lord. Luke, Aquilla and Priscilla, Philemon, Titus, and Timothy are only a few he mentions with whom he had consistent fellowship. In contrast, neither Paul nor David spent a great deal of time with the lost, or ungodly, unless it was with ministry in mind.

We are not suggesting that believers cut themselves off from the unsaved or become hermits. We have instruction and examples to the contrary. We learn from II Corinthians 5:20 that “we are ambassadors for Christ” with the ministry of reconciliation or, in other words, the mission of sharing a clear gospel of grace with all that we can. Similarly, Ephesians 3:9 tells us Paul’s mission was also to “make (or help) all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery.” We too should share this goal of seeking to share with everyone the gospel of grace and the joyous news of God’s secret program of grace that is distinct from Israel and the Mosaic Law. So, we should have a ministry-minded outreach to others.

The proper balance to find should be in still maintaining an outward ministry, yet limiting our time with the lost, unspiritually minded, or even marginally spiritually minded. It is important for us to “be not deceived” about how others influence us and therefore to choose, like David and Paul before us, to make friends and companions of those who are so spiritually minded that we will be continually encouraged in the Lord. Is it important who we spend time with and how much time we spend with them? It certainly is! May God help each of us to cultivate the best kind of friendships: those with dedicated, spiritually minded believers of like precious faith.

 

 

Things that fashion us

By Ken Pullen (with much help from a sermon by A.W. Tozer and the Apostle Peter)

 

 

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

1 Peter 1: 13-25

 

Contrary to how people attempt daily to delude themselves that human nature has changed over time the nature of people is the same as it was in 2013 B.C. as it was in 600 A.D., and as it is today in 2013.

Human nature has never changed. We are drawn to this world and its ways. We are born into sin and serve the master of this earth – most until they die never tasting of the grace and beauty and purity of the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Lord, or the whole Word of God.

God and Christ are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Human nature has not altered one iota since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. No matter how people work diligently to convince themselves otherwise – they are vainly deluding themselves.

There are things which fashion all of us. We are influenced by others and our surroundings no matter how much we deny this, or sociologists, psychologists, and men and women of the world vainly debate the matter – we all are fashioned by this world we live in. We all are influenced by the company we keep.

The following was gleaned from a sermon of A.W. Tozer’s and it is the pure truth:

Things that fashion us;

1.) Literature we read. No matter how vehemently someone might deny, or claim they are beyond being influenced, the literature we read and expose ourselves to conditions our mind. It shapes us. Our values are shaped by what we read.

2.) Songs and music we listen to. Contrary to what the world says music is a HUGE influence. All music is. And the kind we expose ourselves to shapes us greatly. Contrary to what has taken place the instruments of rock ‘n roll should never have been allowed to enter into the Houses of God. There is no place for the mingling of the world and the holiness that is supposed to be a House of God. Did no one read the temperament and actions of Jesus Christ the Lord when men and women turned His Father’s house into a place like every other in this world? Music sets the tone of how we feel inside. It stirs us. Shakes us. Shapes us and keys in on the baser emotions. It does not enhance or lend itself to spiritual growth no matter the protestations of those in the world doing the work of their master, Satan in confusing people and muddying the waters.

3.) Pleasures we indulge in. These also shape us, fashion us. Over time they lead us to become what we truly are – smoking, drinking to excess or with great frequency, gambling; all worldly pleasures take us, remove us from God and draw us into and closer to the ways of this world.

And we are not a separate people. We are not a people walking along righteous pathways pursuing God, but we are instead pursuing the temporal and deadly pleasures of this world.

4.) Ambitions we entertain. What do we hope and dream of? Spiritual matters and the ways of the Lord and His Word? Or are our ambitions founded upon the corruptible and moving sand of this world?

5.) Places we go. Where we visit is what we truly are and where our heart lies. Do not lie or make excuses.

6.) Words we speak. Our language defines us. Our language and words reveal what is truly in our hearts, our minds, our spirits, and our souls. And language is so vitally important. It cannot be dismissed or made excuse. It shapes us – and others – and defines who we really are.

7.) Friendships we keep. Are we serving God with the company and friends we keep? Or are we truly friends with the world and not serving the Lord our God? Open this gate and lose mightily. This path and refusing to let go of those which can lead us to ruin and misled us is a terrible road to travel.

8.) Thoughts we brood over. This is conditioning by evil or by righteousness. Are we thinking right thoughts? Living right based upon what we think upon and brood over? Or are we being consumed by worry, fear, greed, envy, jealousy, bitterness, strife, and the thoughts and cares of this fleeting and temporary world – and thus evil thoughts? What is going on in our minds plucks the strings of our hearts, spirits, and souls and determines the song we sing.

What things do we allow to fashion us?

The things of God and His Word?

Or the things of this world?